Getting the Man Right

Getting the Man right. 

 

Prologue

Once upon a time there was a very successful business
owner. His company had faithfully served millions of customers
for many, many years. But lately, business had not been so good,
and his competitors were just waiting for him to fail. For weeks
and months, the man pondered the crisis, but the problems were
so complex, and solutions seemed nowhere to be found.
Everyone was wondering what would happen to this great
company, so finally the businessman announced that he was hosting
a dinner for all of his employees to unveil a plan that would
save the company and return it to its former glory. He wanted to
convey to them how important each person was to the future success
of the organization.

The morning of the dinner, he was sitting in his study at home
working on his speech, when his wife came in and asked if he
would mind watching their son for a few hours while she ran
some errands. He was about to say, “I really need to focus on finishing
my speech,” but something caught his tongue and he found
himself agreeing, reluctantly.

His wife had only been gone about ten minutes when there
was a knock on the study door, and there appeared his seven year-
old son. “Dad, I’m bored!” he exclaimed. The father spent
the next couple of hours trying to amuse his son while also trying
to finish his speech. Finally he realized that if he could not find
some way to entertain his child he was never going to get his
speech finished in time.

Picking up a magazine, he thumbed through the pages until
he came to a large, brightly colored map of the world. He ripped
the picture into dozens of pieces, and led his son into the living
room. Then, throwing the pieces all over the floor, he announced,
“Son, if you can put the map of the world back together I will
give you twenty dollars.”

The boy immediately began gathering the pieces. He was
keen to earn the extra money, as he needed just twenty more dollars
to buy a toy he had been saving for since his last birthday.
The father returned to his study, thinking he had just bought
himself a couple of hours to finish working on his speech, because
he knew his seven-year-old son had no idea what the map of the
world looked like.

But five minutes later, just as he was settling into his speech,
there was another knock on the study door. There stood the
young boy holding the completed map of the world.
The father said in amazement, “How did you finish it so
quickly?” The boy smiled and said, “You know, Dad, I had no
idea what the map of the world looked like, but as I was picking
up the pieces, I noticed that on the back there was a picture of
a man.” The father smiled, and the boy continued. “So, I put a
sheet of paper down, and I put the picture of the man together,
because I knew what the man looked like. I placed another sheet
of paper on top, then holding them tightly I turned them both
over.” He smiled again and exclaimed, “I figured, if I got the man
right, the world would be right.”

The man handed his son twenty dollars. 
“And you’ve given me my speech for tonight. 

If you get the man right, you get the world right.”

Told by Matthew Kelly.

The Black Feather

The Black Feather

Ever heard of Occam's Razor? 
Its basic tenet is, "The simplest explanation is usually the right one."
Many use Occam's Razor as a means to slice through a problem/situation in order to eliminate unnecessary steps.

Today, I would like to apply Occam's Razor to conflict. Jesus said, "If you have an issue with someone, the best way to handle the difficulty is to simply go to them (Matt. 18)." Face to face. Toe to toe. Heart to heart. It's a rather direct approach.
It's a rather gutsy one too.  The genius is found in its simplicity.

Just think for a moment just how many other ways you and I handle conflict:
-The Ostrich approach (ignore it).
-The Bursting a blood vessel approach (do you really need an explanation)?
-The Big Daddy approach (cover it up).

Possibly the most dangerous approach is the "Black Feather" approach.
Below, I will share a short story that illustrates this powerfully.

In a small German village, a woman differed from her minister and became so angry that she began spreading ugly rumors about him around town. As fate would have it, she eventually became ill and called on the minister to pray for her. He came gladly, and she asked his forgiveness for her gossiping. "I will grant you forgiveness," the minister said, "but there's something you must do."

"I'll do anything," the woman said.

"As soon as you get well, go pluck the feathers from a black chicken and put them into a basket, and bring them to me."  When the woman got well, she did what the minister asked her to do and presented the basket of feathers to the minister.

"You did well," the minister said. "Now take this basket of feathers and scatter them in the corners of the marketplace and from the towers of the church. Scatter them throughout the town. Then return to me."

So the woman did. 

She walked from one end of town to the other, scattering the feathers. Then she returned to her pastor. "I have done as you asked," she said.

"Very well. Now take your basket and collect all the feathers. Make sure not one is missing."

"But that is not possible!" the woman said with a choking cry.  "The wind has carried many of them away.

"So it is with your words," the minister said. "While I have gladly forgiven you, do not forget that you can never undo the damage your untrue words have done."

I read the following account of Socrates and thought it would fit nicely with the lesson above.

In Ancient Greece, Socrates had a great reputation of wisdom. One day, someone came to find the great philosopher and said to him:

- Do you know what I just heard about your friend?

- A moment, replied Socrates.

Before you tell me, I would like to test you the three sieves.

- The three sieves?

- Yes, continued Socrates. Before telling anything about the others, it's good to take the time to filter what you mean. I call it the test of the three sieves.

The first sieve is the TRUTH. Have you checked if what you're going to tell me is true?

- No, I just heard it.

- Very good! So, you don't know if it's true.

We continue with the second sieve, that of KINDNESS. What you want to tell me about my friend, is it good?

- Oh, no! On the contrary.

- So, questioned Socrates, you want to tell me bad things about him and you're not even sure they're true?

Maybe you can still pass the test of the third sieve, that of UTILITY. Is it useful that I know what you're going to tell me about this friend?

- No, really.

- So, concluded Socrates, what you were going to tell me is neither true, nor good, nor useful. Why, then, did you want to tell me this?

"Gossip is a bad thing. In the beginning, it may seem enjoyable and fun, but in the end, it fills our hearts with bitterness and poisons us, too!

Any reasonable person will see that out of all the alternative options, the direct approach is certainly the best.  It is also the toughest --let's be honest, nobody is running to the front of the line when it comes to conflict resolution. One of my favorite quotes is Thomas Watson's, "What fools are they who, for a drop of pleasure, drink a sea of wrath." This is precisely what happens when you and I choose to let things fester within our hearts by not going directly to the source of our conflict. In a real way, it is like we gladfully go to the shelf, pour ourselves a glass of destruction and drink it straight down. Your life will be better off if you put that glass down and get direct when handling conflict.  When you do, you will switch that old glass of wrath for a fresh goblet of peace.  

The Story of the Blue Rose

A Story...

Having four visiting family members, my wife was very busy, so I offered to

go to the store for her to get some needed items, which included light bulbs,

paper towels, trash bags, detergent and Clorox. So off I went.

I scurried around the store, gathered up my goodies and headed for the 
checkout counter, only to be blocked in the narrow aisle by a young man who

appeared to be about sixteen-years-old. I wasn't in a hurry, so I patiently 

waited for the boy to realize that I was there. This was when he waved his 

hands excitedly in the air and declared in a loud voice,

"Mommy, I'm over here."

It was obvious now, he was mentally challenged and also startled as he turned 
and saw me standing so close to him, waiting to squeeze by. His eyes widened
and surprise exploded on his face as I said, 

"Hey Buddy, what's your name?"

"My name is Denny and I'm shopping with my mother," he responded proudly.

"Wow," I said, "that's a cool name; I wish my name was Denny, but my name is Steve."

"Steve, like Stevarino?" he asked. "Yes," I answered. "How old are you Denny?"

"How old am I now, Mommy?" he asked his mother as she slowly came over from the next aisle. "You're fifteen-years-old Denny; now be a good boy and let the man pass
by."

I acknowledged her and continued to talk to Denny for several more minutes
about summer, bicycles and school. I watched his brown eyes dance with
excitement, because he was the center of someone's attention. He then
abruptly turned and headed toward the toy section.

Denny's mom had a puzzled look on her face and thanked me for taking the time
to talk with her son. She told me that most people wouldn't even look at him,
much less talk to him.

I told her that it was my pleasure and then I said something I have no idea
where it came from, other than by the prompting of the Holy Spirit. 

I told her that there are plenty of red, yellow, and pink roses in
God's Garden; however, 
"Blue Roses" are very rare and should be appreciated for their beauty and distinctiveness. 

You see, Denny is a Blue Rose and if someone doesn't stop and smell that rose with their heart and touch that rose with their kindness, then they've missed a blessing from God.

She was silent for a second, then with a tear in her eye she asked, "Who are you?"
Without thinking I said, "Oh, I'm probably just a dandelion, but I sure love living in God's garden."

She reached out, squeezed my hand and said, "God bless you!" and then I had tears in my eyes. 

May I suggest, the next time you see a BLUE ROSE, don't turn your head and 
walk off. Take the time to smile and say Hello. Why? Because, by the grace of GOD, this mother or father could be you. This could be your child, grandchild, niece or nephew. What a difference a moment can mean to that person or their family.

A friend of mine emailed this story to me.  

It moved me deeply.  

No wonder Jesus said, "Let the little children come unto Me." 

I get the idea that Jesus was trying to get a message across that was much deeper than what His disciples could actually see.  I believe He wanted to teach His followers to stop and acknowledge people.  Too often we just hurry through life and miss all kinds of hurting people right around us.  

The man in this story was wise enough to give a little of his time to this 15 year old boy and in doing so, he was giving more than just time, he was giving part of his life away.  

He was investing.  He was acknowledging something unique.  

He took the time to smell the Blue Rose.

When God gives you a bloody nose!

By:  Jean de La Fontaine 

Once there was a country bumpkin

Who observed a great big pumpkin

To a slender stem attached;

While upon an oak tree nourished,

Little acorns grew and flourished.

"Bah!" said he. "That's badly matched."

"If, despite my humble station,

I'd a hand in this Creation,

Pumpkins on the oaks would be;

And the acorn, light and little,

On this pumpkin stem so brittle

Would be placed by clever Me."

Then, fatigued with so much thought, he

Rest beneath the oak tree sought. He

Soon in slumber found repose

But, alas! An acorn, falling

On the spot where he lay sprawling,

Hit him--plump!--Upon the nose.

Up he jumped--a wiser bumpkin.

"Gosh!" he said. "Suppose a pumpkin

Came a-fallin' on my face!

After all, if I had made things,

I'll allow that I'm afraid things

Might be some what out of place.

The meaning of the acorn and the pumpkin?

God knows better than we do. Before the man took a nap under the acorn tree, he mocked God's creation.  He stated that a tree as giant as an acorn tree surely would have been better fit for something large, like pumpkins, to grow on.

However, he later found that he was mistaken when an acorn fell on his nose, causing it to bleed, making him realize that had it been a pumpkin, he would not have been as fortunate.

That is why at the end of the poem he says,"God knows His business after all, no question!" He realized he does not know more than God, and he should learn to trust Him.

"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!"

-Romans 11:33-

It's Not My Fault

It’s Not My Fault.

There are two types of people in this world, those who take responsibility for their lives, and those who do not.

Have you noticed that we live in a culture of blame? 
There is the overweight woman suing McDonald’s for making her fat. Did the Golden Arches reach out, grab her, and force food down her throat?  There is the guy that throws his money away at the casino. Did the blackjack dealer drive him to the bright lights; take the money out of his wallet and place bet after bet? 
In both cases, shift went from the individual to some outside external force.

I read a book once with the title, “Take control of what’s controlling you.” Aptly fit for our society today. Dr. Henry Cloud wrote a fascinating book that inspired this post (It’s Not my Fault) that I benefited from measurably. In it, he says you need to, “Take responsibility for your life, then put your arms around reality and take ownership of it …” 

(B.O.B.) The beginning of blame

Genesis records the origins of much of what you and I experience today. Life, death, murder, marriage, etc. In Genesis chapter 3, we discover that right after Adam and Eve disobey God and sin, they start the blame game. Adam points to his wife, his wife then points to the serpent. Blame, Shame and Guilt. All there in the garden. 
For our purposes however, we will focus on blame shifting. We just love to shift blame and responsibility on to others. We love pointing to external factors that will get us off the hook. One interesting element about blaming outside sources is that they may be true AND we may even have good reasons to blame -but it does not solve any of our problems.

I will unabashedly state that if you are the type of person that consistently shifts blame on externals --you have serious problems. I know it and your friends / family know it too. I can’t say for certain that you know it, but the sooner you understand this hang-nail about yourself the better off you will be.  See, those in life that are successful, those in life that have risen above their circumstances have figured out some important life lessons --one is that they take responsibility for their own lives. 
Is it time for you to look inward, instead of outward? 
Choose to man-up and rise above the external forces and when you do -you choose to be a victor instead of a victim.

Do you trust me?

Many of us have enjoyed the confidence of a trusted advisor. A person that we can go to when we are facing one of life's many dilemmas.

I just put down the book, The Trusted Advisor, where the authors have discussed the important virtue of trust.  Before we move further, have you ever thought about what makes a person trustworthy? What are the qualities you look for that give you the confidence to trust another person as your advisor? What are the reasons you regularly invite them into your life and into your most personal problems? 

I'm sure that you have a list of several qualities building up in your mind, nonetheless, below I will highlight the most important one of all: Trust.

Trust must be earned and deserved. Before someone trusts you, they will need evidence by which they will base their decision on whether or not they will trust you in the future.  When building trust, there are a handful of truths you must bear in mind. Below, I will highlight the building blocks to building trust.

Think of Jack Burns, played by Robert DeNiro in the movie Meet the Fokers.

First, you must understand that trust is something that grows. In other words, trust rarely develops instantaneously. A wise person will watch what a person says and what a person does, then they will wait to see if the person's words and actions match. In the book, The Leadership Challenge, I learned that the number one way for one to build trust is to live by this acronym: "DWYSYWD"

-Do What You Say You Will Do-

Secondly, trust is risky business. There are always at least two parties involved in a trust relationship.Simply put, if party A does not trust party B (or vice a versa), things will fall apart quicker then when a draft hits a house of cards. 

Thirdly, trust is always personal. I've never trusted an organization, business plan, or standard operating procedure ... but I've always trusted a person or group of people. An institution is only as trustworthy as the individuals working in it.

 

Leadership Application:

I hope that as you read this, you reflect on the power of trust. Over the years, I have noticed that the truly great person will not only think about the person God has placed in their life as a trusted advisor, they will also think about becoming a trusted advisor.

And to accomplish this, you must first become a person who is trustworthy

I Want IT Bad !

A STORY:

There was a young man who wanted to make a lot of money, and so he went to a guru. He told the guru he wanted to reach his level of greatness. And so the guru said: “If you want to be on the same level I’m on, I’ll meet you tomorrow at the beach.”

So the young man arrived at 4:00 a.m. He had on a suit, but he should have worn shorts. The old man grabbed his hand and said: “How bad do you want to be successful?” The young responded: “Badly.”

So the old man told the young man to walk out into the water. It was waist deep. The young man thought: “This old man is crazy.”

The young man said to himself: “I want to make money and this guy has me out here swimming. I didn’t ask to be a lifeguard. I want to make money.

Then the old man said: “Come out a little farther,” and the young man did so.

As the young man was up to his shoulders in water he again thought: “This old man is crazy! He’s making money, but he’s crazy.”

The old man said, “Come out a little farther.”

The young man obeyed, but wavered as if he might turn back.

So the old man said: “I thought you said you wanted to be successful?”

“I do,” said the student.

So the old man ordered the young man to come out even farther, and when he did he pushed the young man’s head under water and held it down. Although the young man fought, the old man would not let him up.Just before the young man passed out the old man raised his head above the surface and said: “When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful.”

The young man in the story wants nothing more than to be successful in life. Certainly ambition is not a bad thing, however misplaced ambition is. In all reality, this story is about desire. It is about not quitting.  It’s about a dream and your pursuit of that dream.   It’s about wanting it bad, whatever the “it” is that burns inside your guts. Most people have an “it” and it keeps them up late at night … whether for good or for bad.  Know what? Not all “its” are worth your venture. Not all “its” are created equal.  Some are good, some bad.  Some are worthwhile pursuits that will reap meaningful rewards and some are filled with bleak despair.   Today, I want to tell you about a person that had it all, yet desired something most of us have either forgotten or misplaced.

In the Old Testament book of Psalms we read, “As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Psalm 42: 1-2).

 

I am not a hunter, but growing up in Western Pa. I know a thing or two about deer from the enthusiasts that I hang with. In the wild, an animal can become emaciated due to a lack of water and/or food. David is at a low point in his life while writing this passage and draws a parallel between a deer’s desperate desire for water and his own yearning to connect with God. Just as a deer pants after the water brook, David pants after God. See when King David wrote this he was down in the pits and removed from his throne. We both know that King David could have potentially missed a lot of things in his current situation; as King, I would have probably missed my comfy bed, deliciously prepared meals, a Mega-Huge TV to watch the 49ers play and my nightly foot massage.  Contrarily, we do not find David expressing a single word of regret as to his absence from his throne.  Rather his longing is for fellowship with God. Apparently, David had an “it” and it was the Lord.  

 

Like David, there is something that happens to us when we go through tough times. The trials of life reveal what is beneath our exterior; then our true character surfaces like the morning sunrise.  What is below the surface quickly becomes evident to all.  This, I am sure you have figured out, is either a good thing or a bad thing for a person. We’ve all see it. Experienced it.  When someone acts up and everyone is just sitting around with their jaws touching the floor. Shocked at what we have just painfully observed. Conversely, there are times when a person’s powerful character is revealed that leaves an indelible mark upon us.  For King David, his time of pain revealed his deepest desire. To connect with his Creator. Or should I say, to re-connect with Him.  Have you noticed that you or I never really miss water until we MISS WATER???  I get the feeling that this was David’s yearning during his crucible.  The thing that he took for granted was not near.  That connected feeling that brought him a sense of comfort was removed and now David wanted it back –more than anything.

 

Maybe you have wandered away.  You now find yourself in the wilderness wondering what had happened.  Where did my foot slip?  When did I go wrong? And more importantly, how do I get back? The answer is beautiful in way due to its simplicity.  Just go back to the source and drink. Partake.  You may have taken 1,000 steps away from God, but He has taken 999 and is looking right over your shoulder waiting for you to turn around and begin all over again.

Damaging Yourself: anger and resentment

On the Halloween when Dwight D. Eisenhower was ten years old, his parents let his two older brothers go trick-or-treating, but told Ike he was too young to accompany them. Having eagerly anticipated a night of fun and freedom, Dwight was crushed. He argued his case for why he should be allowed to go out, begging and pleading with his parents to change their minds until his brothers at last headed off into the night without him.

 

Completely beside himself with rage, Ike went into the yard and starting pounding away at the trunk of an apple tree, pummeling the bark until his fists bled. His father finally pulled the boy away, gave him a few swats with a hickory stick, and sent him off to bed.

Ike sobbed into his pillow, feeling like the whole world was against him.

After an hour, Eisenhower’s mother came into his room and sat down in the rocking chair beside his bed. She rocked silently for awhile, and then began to talk to young Dwight, telling him she was concerned about his anger, and that of all her boys, he had the most to learn about getting his temper under control. But striving to do so and gaining self-mastery, Mrs. Eisenhower continued, “He that conquereth his own soul is greater than he who taketh a city,” she told her son, paraphrasing the Bible. Then, Ike remembered, she offered him a piece of life-changing advice:

“Hating was a futile sort of thing, she said, because hating anyone or anything meant that there was little to be gained. The person who had incurred my displeasure probably didn’t care, possibly didn’t even know, and the only person injured was myself.”

As Eisenhower’s mother applied salve and bandages to Ike’s wounded hands, she reinforced her point by noting the way in which his heedless anger and resentment had changed nothing and only damaged himself.

Article: The Art of Manliness, June 3, 2012

How to Handle Life's Disapointments

Handling Life's Disapointments

What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?
-Langston Hughes, Harlem.

Harold S. Kushner, in his fascinating book, "Overcoming Life's Disappointments" comments on the poem asking, "In these lines, the poet wonders what happens to dreams that do not come true. I wonder what happens to the dreamer. How do people cope with the realization that important dimensions of their lives will not turn out as they hoped they would ..."
Heavy Stuff.
Especially if you are in touch with reality.



The first thing to grapple with is that you will be disappointed. For most of us, we have already experienced our share. But, there was a time, perhaps when young(er) and naive, you happened to dance around the painful events of life unscathed. Then, it got you. Setbacks, losses, unexpected events, Etc. You were wounded on the inside. Never to be the same again. And NO, your life will not be as it once was. I am a victim of this mentality -waiting for things to return to "normal" - they do not. As a man of deep nostalgia, I stood at this doorstep for years, only to have that door unanswered. So I get it, trust me.

As time passed on, you learned that the question was not, "How do I go through life avoiding disappointment?" Rather, "How will I respond to those disappointments?" Today I was reading in the Psalms something that I know was a message for me:

"Light arises in the darkness for the upright" (112:4)

When your heart has broken and you feel lost a lot of the time you feel like you are groping for something. Whether it is the past, restoration or a specific answer, you grope. You yearn like a blind man for answers around you. In our Psalm, we read something that shifts our mind to a different perspective. "Light arises in the darkness!" Your answer will come. Your restoration is on its way. God is not done with you. Your journey, although confusing, painful and down right exhausting can produce something of value.

The Black Feather

Ever hear of Occam's Razor?
Its basic tenant is, "the simplest explanation is usually the right one."
Many use Occam's Razor as a means to slice through a problem / situation in order to eliminate unnecessary steps.

Today, I would like to apply Occam's Razor to conflict. Jesus said, "If you have an issue with someone, the best way to handle the difficulty is to simply go to them." Face to face.
Toe to toe. Heart to heart. It's a rather direct approach.
It's a rather gutsy one too.  The genius is found in its simplicity.

Just think for a moment how many other ways you and I handle conflict:
-The Ostrich approach (ignore it).
-The Bursting a blood vessel approach (do you really need an explanation?).
-The Big Daddy approach (cover it up).
-The Flapper approach (I talk to everyone except the right one).

Possibly the most dangerous approach is the "Black Feather" approach.
Below, I will share a short story that illustrates this powerfully.

In a small German village, a woman differed with her minister and became so angry that she began spreading ugly rumors about him around town. As fate would have it, she eventually became ill and called on the minister to pray for her. He came gladly, and she asked his forgiveness of her gossiping. "I will grant you forgiveness," the minister said, "but there's something you must do."

"I'll do anything," the woman said.

"As soon as you get well, go pluck the feathers from a black chicken and put them into a basket and bring them to me."  When the woman got well, she did what the minister asked her to do and presented the basket of feathers to the minister.

"You did well," the minister said. "Now take this basket of feathers and scatter them in the corners of the marketplace and from the towers of the church. Scatter them throughout the town. Then return to me."

So the woman did.

She walked from one end of town to the other, scattering the feathers. Then she returned to her pastor. "I have done as you asked," she said.

"Very well. Now take your basket and collect all the feathers. Make sure not one is missing."

"But that is not possible!" the woman said with a choking cry.  "The wind has carried many of them away.

 

"So it is with your words," the minister said. "While I have gladly forgiven you, do not forget that you can never undo the damage your untrue words have done."

 

Further, I have noticed in life that, generally speaking, people do have good motivations for the things that they do.  So do not fill  your mind with all the "reasons" why so and so did such and such, oftentimes you are wrong.  You are inserting your own motivations into the story that may not be true. Remember, in the absence of information people will make up their own.

 

One of my favorite quotes is Thomas Watson's, "What fools are they who, for a drop of pleasure, drink a sea of wrath." This is precisely what happens when you and I choose to let things fester within our hearts by not going directly to the source of our conflict. In a real way, it is like we gladfully go to the shelf, pour ourselves a glass of destruction and drink it straight down. Your life will be better off if you put that glass down and get direct when handling conflict.  When you do, you will switch that old glass of wrath for a fresh goblet of peace. 

 

Conclusion:

Any reasonable person will see that out of all the alternative options, the direct approach is certainly the best.  It is also the toughest --let's be honest, nobody is running to the front of the line when it comes to conflict resolution.

"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." - Antoine de Saint Exupéry

I read a story by James K. A. Smith, in his work titled, “You Are What You Love.”

The author recounts a time when he was in the Tate Britain museum in London and was captivated by a painting.

The painting is called, “The Boyhood of Raleigh” and attempts to tell the story of who would eventually become Sir Walter Raleigh, the great Intrepid explore sailing for Queen Elizabeth.

 

Cool picture, right?

Here is what I love about it.  While there are no words attempting to tell us what is going on –we intuitively know.  

The older man, the hardened, skin-salted, sailor is pointing the boys towards the sea with great tales of thrilling adventure!

“Boys,” he says in a whisper, “The first time I set sail as a young man I remember…”  And the story begins.

Now notice the young boy’s faces.  Totally on the man. Every word.  They sit. Hanging on his words as he paints pictures and as he tells them stories, something is happening to them.  They begin to see themselves as sailors. Standing on the mast. Commanding the large wooden ship through the mighty seas.

This is teaching.  And do you want to take any guess as to the greatest teacher our world has ever known? If you guessed Jesus, then you are correct.  Man was He good at painting pictures.  “I am the Vine and you are the branches” (think of this being said standing right in the middle of a Vineyard).  “I am Living Water” (imagine being situated in the hot sun-beaten dessert next to a well).  I could go on, but there is just one more aspect of Jesus’ teaching that I want to highlight before I finish.

If you have ever read the Gospels, you probably remember Jesus using a phrase that goes like this: “The Kingdom of God…” When He is saying this, He is painting a picture for His followers much like the sailor in the painting.  He is casting a vision for what life can and should look like as His message spreads.  Because when His message spreads, you, I – the world starts to reflect the character of God – in other words we will be a little bit of heaven right here on earth.